Font Size
Nehemiah 1
EasyEnglish Bible
Nehemiah 1
EasyEnglish Bible
Nehemiah prays
1 These are the words of Nehemiah, Hacaliah's son.
It was the month Kislev. This was when King Artaxerxes had ruled for 20 years. I was in the big city of Susa. 2 Hanani, my brother, and some other men arrived from Judah. I asked them for news of the Jews who had returned there from exile in Babylon. I asked them for news about Jerusalem. 3 They told me, ‘The Jews who returned to Judah are in much trouble. The walls of the city still have lots of holes in them. Fire has burned the city's gates down to the ground. So the people are very ashamed.’
4 After they told me this, I sat down and I wept. I was very sad for many days. I did not eat or drink anything and I prayed to God.
5 I prayed, ‘Lord, God of heaven, you are great and powerful.[a] You always continue to love your people, as you have promised to do. You are kind to those people who love you and obey your commands. 6 Please listen to my prayer. I am your servant. I am praying in the day and in the night on behalf of your servants, the Israelites. I agree that we have all done wrong things. That includes me and my family. We have not obeyed you. 7 We have done wicked things against you. We have not obeyed the commands, the laws and the rules that you gave to your servant Moses.[b]
8 Remember what you told your servant, Moses. You told him, “If the Israelites turn away from me, I will make them live among foreign people in many different places. 9 But if they return to me and they obey my commands, I will be kind to them. I will bring them back together again from all the different places where they are living. Even if they live far away, I will find them. I will bring them to the place that I have chosen to give honour to my name.”
10 Lord, these are your people and your servants. You used your great power and strength to rescue them. 11 Please listen to my prayer, my Lord. Hear the prayers of your people who love to respect your name. Please cause the king to be kind to me. May he give me what I ask for.’
I was the king's cupbearer.[c]
Footnotes
- 1:5 When we write Lord like this, it is a special name for God. Sometimes people write it as ‘Yahweh’, or as ‘Jehovah’. It is his own name that he told Moses. See Exodus 3:14. It means ‘I am who I am’. This shows that God has always been there and he always will be there.
- 1:7 See Exodus 20.
- 1:11 A cupbearer took care of the king's wine. He would have to make sure that the wine was safe for the king to drink. As cupbearer, Nehemiah was an important servant of the king.
Nehemiah 1
New International Version
Nehemiah 1
New International Version
Nehemiah’s Prayer
1 The words of Nehemiah son of Hakaliah:
In the month of Kislev(A) in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa,(B) 2 Hanani,(C) one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant(D) that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.
3 They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.(E)”
4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept.(F) For some days I mourned and fasted(G) and prayed before the God of heaven. 5 Then I said:
“Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God,(H) who keeps his covenant of love(I) with those who love him and keep his commandments, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear(J) the prayer(K) your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess(L) the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. 7 We have acted very wickedly(M) toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.
8 “Remember(N) the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter(O) you among the nations, 9 but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather(P) them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’(Q)
10 “They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand.(R) 11 Lord, let your ear be attentive(S) to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor(T) in the presence of this man.”
I was cupbearer(U) to the king.
EasyEnglish Bible (EASY)
EasyEnglish Bible Copyright © MissionAssist 2019 - Charitable Incorporated Organisation 1162807. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.